Brave Little One
by TheHuntersHuntress
Summary: When the accords were laid in front of you in black and white, you knew the decision would be an easy one. Til he looked up at you with bright blue eyes, defiance swimming in them and your heart broke. Or, the one where Captain America refuses to sign the accords and the ink of your signature was practically already drying on the page.
1. 1

**Disclaimer; i own nothing but the reader's basic personality and if y'all want that, you can have it lol**

"You have to take responsibility for your actions." Ross had demanded, showing the havoc the lot of you had wreaked all over the world. "While some see you as heroes, a great many see you as vigilantes."

You had felt smaller than an ant as he stared you down, eyes beaming directly into yours when he pulled up a video of what you'd done in Sokovia. You had the ability to manipulate the elements, and the gust of wind you'd used to take out a hoard of Iron Legion bots also leveled a whole - empty - block. You had sunk in your chair, eyes darting to Steve's as he reached out to take your hand with a sorry gaze.

"That's enough." Steve had commanded, the clip of Wanda accidentally sending Rumlow through an office building playing behind him. "Cut it off, you made your point Ross." Then the accords had been introduced, landing in front of you on the table with a resounding bang.

'Approved by 117 countries' is all you could hear. 117. 117 countries saw you all as a liability, as borderline a problem. 117 countries wanted you to take responsibility for what you'd done. Where did that leave all of you then? You didn't want to be owned by government officials, with agendas and problems that didn't fit your job description. That's why you signed up for the Avengers in the first place, so you wouldn't be some lab rat. Steve's hand tightened in yours, your eyes meeting his as he gave you and encouraging smile before glancing over at Tony.

"The UN meets in Vienna three says from now, talk it over."

You had read through the gist of the accords, double and triple checking for loopholes or any kind of mistreatment of you all as humans and so far you couldn't find any. Sam and Rhodey had been getting into it all afternoon, something about medals and criminals but you weren't really paying attention as you switched between watching Steve read the accords and Tony sitting despondently - he seemed utterly concentrated.

"I have an equation." Vision started, earning groans from Sam but you were willing to hear the android man out. And you were glad you did because he made far too much sense. Strength had always bred challenge, Steve's immediate defensiveness sitting heavily on your chest. You had never felt so disconnected from him then in that moment. You couldn't figure out what he was thinking, didn't know what that stone cold expression on his face meant but you knew Steve, knew he'd make the right choice and you'd probably follow right along with it.

"Tony, you're being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal." Natasha pointed out what you'd all already noticed. Tony shifted and it was like a cold breeze through the room.

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve's jaw tightened, hand crumpling the papers a bit as Tony stood. Your eyes went wide, mind catching up to your eyes and relaying the message of understanding. That wasn't despondent posture you'd noticed. It wasn't concentration, it was acceptance and the relaxation in his choice.

"Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" Tony deflected. He tapped his phone against the wireless photo display, letting a photo of a young boy none of you recognized pop up on the screen. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul... before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where, Sokovia." You looked away from the photo with tears stuck in your throat. You had been the one to level most of Sokovia. "He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass. There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."

"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." What was Steve doing? Did he just not hear what Stark said? Responsibility needed to be taken for what you'd all done.

**"**Who said we're giving up?"

**"**We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blames." You were this close to arguing him when Rhodey cut you off.

"I'm sorry. Steve. That... That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not SHIELD, it's not HYDRA."

"No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change."

"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stop manufacturing."

"Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own." Why was Steve fighting this so much? He had a good point but was he fighting being under supervision or afraid of another Hydra-Shield situation?

"If we don't so this now," You finally broke in, "Do you think it'll be done to us?" Tony nodded. They'd force your hand.

"You're saying they'll come for me, and you." She placed her hand on your arm, accepting your pained smile with one of her own. She'd been your best friend through all this - minus Steve, of course. But she understood you in a way no one else could.

"We would protect you, both of you." Vision explained. But they couldn't dedicate their lives to protecting yours when there was a whole world out there.

You had never felt so confused in your life with both sides of the coin having equally valid opinions. You had to take responsibiliy, that was the agreed upon consensus but how? By letting others help decide so it was less likely for there to be so much collateral or was it truly just shifting blame around so it didn't rest on all of you? Or was it arrogant like RHodey said to think you could make decisions that involved innocent lives when aliens and sentient AI robots were involved?

"Perhaps Tony's right." All of your heads went on a swivel to Natasha. _What_? "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer but if we take it off, then nothing." The way Sam's neck elongated, hands folding over his chest as he leaned closer would have been comical in any other situation but you could feel an impending fight and for once, looking in Steve's eyes didn't calm you in the slightest because you still couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, aren't you the woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam exclaimed. "Then released all the Shield files?"

"I'm just reading the terrain." She explained, rolling her eyes when Tony held up his hand. He was grinning like the cheshire cat.

"Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I mishear you or did you agree with me?"

"I want to take it back now."

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed - I win." Steve's phone chiming interrupted the small moment of comedy, the look on his face telling you that no one would be winning today.

"i have to go." You stood with him, following him as he practically flew down the stairs. He stopped halfway, only to turn and drag you into his arms as tears welled in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Peggy." he didn't have to say more. You simply let the moment be, forgetting about the accords and how you didn't know where you stood let alone where he would. You just held the man you loved, while he cried for the woman he never truly got to.

Sharon Carter was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes to match. She held herself with a poise you'd seen in old photos of Peggy, but more than that, she held herself with a confidence you wished you could possess. So much confidence that when she started to speak, for the first time that day, you truly listened.

"Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD... but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy. She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related. I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. And she said, compromise where you can. But where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move... it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in they eye and say " No, you move.""

It was in that one minute long speech, that one paragraph of profound thinking and intense truth that you made your decision. You don't know if it was the fact that Peggy Carter, the woman who stood up stronger then she fell, said it or if it was because you'd known all along and just needed a little shove in the right direction. Whatever it was, you finally felt settled for the first time since seeing the accords.

Then you looked over at Steve and it was like someone took your heart in their hands, crushing it with all their might. It was such a strong feeling, such deep emotion that you felt yourself tear up because bright blue was already looking back at you. The resilience in his eyes, the downright stubbornness of a man who was about to be the cause of an absolute shit show, made you question your own resolve enough that you don't think he realized the truth yet. Not like you had, because you knew it'd break his heart.

He wasn't going to sign those papers, but you had to.


	2. 2

How were you supposed to tell him? When? Oh hey Steve, I know you're mourning and everything right now but I'm going to sign the papers you so obviously aren't and I don't know what will happen because Ross is actually a shit stain who wants us all arrested? Yeah, that seemed like a wonderful idea.

You didn't get the chance to say anything because as soon as the ceremony was over, the place cleared out and Natasha met you at the front. She didn't have to say anything before Steve was opening up to the both of you.

"When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I found out that she was alive. I was just lucky to have her." your heart clenched. You couldn't tell him, not now when he was hurting so much and needed someone.

"She had you back too." It was silent for a long moment, Natasha looking dead into his eyes. She wanted him to ask, to bring it up so she didn't have to.

"Who else signed?"

"Tony, Rhodey, Vision."

"Clint?"

"Says he's retired."

"Wanda?"

"TBD. I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the accords." She made eye contact with both of you in turn. "There's plenty of room on the jet." Steve sighed. "Staying together is more important then how we stay together."

"What are we giving up to do it? I'm sorry Nat. We just can't do it." Steve put his arm around your shoulders and you mentally cursed because the full body flinch away from him turned all the attention to you. Shit, fuckity fuck fuckery. You'd given yourself away. Natasha eyed you, expression compassionate as she realized but you played it off as being cold. Steve, innocent and kind Steve, believed you enough to pull off his own jacket and drape it over your shoulders.

How could you do this to him? Sure, the accords made all the sense in the world to you. You all seemed to be doing more damage then good at this point and you'd lost a lot of friends along the way. Perhaps you could keep doing what you were born to do in a safe way, keep yourselves as safe as you kept others. All you were doing was talking yourself more into signing the longer you thought about it, but that nagging feeling in the back of your head and the tugging of your heart strings begged you not to leave Steve.

"I know." Natasha drew his attention away again, thankfully not ratting you out. She just smiled sadly in your direction.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I didn't want you guys to be alone."

You were more than comfortable splayed out on the couch in your suite, dress rumpled as you sipped expensive wine being billed back to Tony as you watched the news and forgot all about your problems for the moment. You were a responsible adult in a loving relationship that could totally handle this. You just had to figure out how because neither you nor stubborn ass Steve were going to change your mind.

Sharon and Steve were reminiscing on Mrs. Carter as you and Sam half payed attention to the TV, continuing to chat quietly between each other. That was til an explosion onscreen stole your attention. You sat up abruptly, turning up the volume as you watched the UN building blow up over and over again.

"Steve!" You yelled, drawing him in at a dead sprint from the other room as he mentally checked you over for injuries. "Look." Sharon pulled out her phone, calling her resources as you dialed Natasha because you're sister-equivalent was in that building. Silence surrounded the room as you saw the man you'd been looking for, for over a year appear on the screen being named responsible.

"I have to go." Sharon mumbled. You all let her leave, nothing but silence surrounding you as you all decided to pull out all the stops to find Bucky before someone else got to him first.


	3. 3

Natasha picked up on your fifth call; you and Steve standing in the street not far from where you saw her, thankfully, chatting with a man from the summit.

"Yeah?"

"Don't you yeah me, I thought you were dead."

"Sorry."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes love, I'm fine. I got lucky." You watched her look around, glancing for where you and Steve stood incognito. "I know how much Barnes means to you." She wasn't talking to you now, she was talking to the eavesdropping Steve who could hear her clearly with his stupid serum enhancements. "I really do, but stay home or you'll make this worse for all of us, please."

"Are you saying you'll arrest me?"

"No but someone will if you interfere. That's how it works now."

"If he's this far gone Nat, I should be the one to bring him in." He tried. She sighed.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the least likely to die trying." Your heart skipped a beat at that thought. He stopped the call, tossing your phone in the trash - rude but okay - as he connected hands with you. You went to reenter the cafe where Sam was waiting for the both of you but instead were pulled into a tight hug, and you completely melted into him.

"What are you doing?"

"It's all been moving so quickly, we haven't had a moment just by ourselves." He pulled back, brushing a piece of hair from your face as he gave you that broken grin of his. "How are you feeling right now?"

"Scared as shit, but I'm okay." You kissed him quickly, not wanting to draw attention to yourselves. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just needed a moment with you to breath." Your heart shuttered in your chest. You had to tell him, right now. If you didn't, it would all just blow up in your face so you had to tell him _right now_. You opened your mouth, ready to watch your relationship fall to pieces but Sam caught his eye over your shoulder as he inclined his head to a waiting Sharon Carter. Fuck.

Sharon didn't explain exactly how she got the information, just slid a folder in front of you with a single statement: "you're gonna have to hurry, we have orders to shoot on sight."

You had been searching for the Winter Soldier for a year, there was no way you were going to let Steve go by himself and potentially lose his best friend because you weren't there to help. At least that's what you told yourself. Truth was, you knew your deception could only last so long because he was about to be a fugitive of the state and you wholeheartedly agreed with the accords. You had let it go on too long as it was, especially because he thought you were in this together as always. You just had to be positive the accords were what you wanted, more than you wanted Steve because unfortunately, this time you couldn't have both.

Sam took the high ground, perched on top of the building for a 'bird's eye view' as he liked to put it while you stood on rooftop near the back of the building. You looked for all the world like a graffiti artist, no weapons in sight because you, well, were the weapon. It really helped the whole incognito thing. So far so good, nothing but a slight crackle from Steve's mic to let you know he was in the same room as Bucky now and your heart sang for him. He had lost his other person, the only one who remembered the Steve before the serum and before the ice, and aliens, and robots. Now he was finding a version of his old friend who was still the same age as him.

"Heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the south." You turned your attention that way, watching as they fanned out to begin their search. Shit. "They've set the perimeter." Steve was still radio silent. "They're entering the building!"

"Geez Steve," You mumbled to yourself, "at least acknowledge us somehow."

"They're on the roof. I'm compromised." Steve's comm crackled to life as you tried your best to continue to be nonchalant, even as the fighting started in your ears from Sam's side. "Five," Sam breathed, "Three, breach, breach, breach!"

Then it was on, grenades crashing through windows and the sounds of explosions but you didn't dare interfere. If you were to go in there now, you'd be a liability. Steve would focus on you rather then the current objective and that wouldn't help anyone.

"Baby, he's headed your way!" You jumped, hearing Steve speak to you directly. Next thing you knew a black bag was landing to your left and a full, grown ass man was hurtling out the window and rolling onto the ledge.

"What the actual fuck, you're just as reckless as Steve!" You admonished. Bucky met your eyes, recognizing you for a moment as he skid to a stop.

"You're his girl." He stated. Before you could respond, a man in a literal, honest to goodness cat suit went flying over the ledge and headed straight for Bucky who took off at lightning speed.

"Steve, we got an unidentified man in a freaking cat suit with little ears and everything, I'm not kidding!" You followed in pursuit, thankful that element control meant you could control the wind enough to make you levitate over the ground and 'fly' because these guys were quick and you'd been skipping leg day.

"Sam, southwest rooftop!"

"On my way, who's the other guy?"

"Bout to find out!" You clocked Steve landing behind you, easily covering the distance as the cat-man and Bucky begin to fight. The shadow of a helicopter flew overheard, raining down bullets and you form a wall of rock to keep them from hitting. One slips through, bouncing off cat dude like it was nothing but giving Bucky enough time to escape claws of doom.

"Sam!" You call out, dropping your shield and joining Steve in pursuit of them once more. "Helicopter. Please."

"Got it!" He sets the chopper off course, giving you enough time to get out of the way before they started firing again. What in the actual fuck was going on right now.

"Steve are they headed for the -."

"Freeway? Yeah." You groaned, landing from your hover as you both began to jump over cars and bringing a whole new meaning to parkour.

"Cover me." He got your gist, grabbing your arm and propelling you a few cars up as he deterred the others from hitting you. You ripped the door open, smiling softly at the shocked male cop chasing down the rogue Bucky. "Sorry about this."

You tossed him out, Steve grasping his arm and depositing him safely - minus a few bumps and bruises - before hopping into the passenger seat as Steve took the drivers.

"Okay, I have to tell you something right now because I am 100% afraid we are going to get murdered by psycho Hello Kitty and rogue cops." You yelled, grasping onto the handle above the door as Steve took curves at mock 40. You glanced over at him, receiving a nod of approval and you shut your eyes tightly, begging yourself not to cry because you were literally in the middle of a fight.

"I'm going to sign the accords." He slammed on the brakes, narrowly dodging a police car as he slid through a small gap all while looking at you in utter shock. "It's the right thing to do Steve and you would agree if it weren't for Bucky."

"Are you kidding me?" Steve yelled, and you shied away. Steve never yelled at you. "What, a man's life doesn't matter to you? The fact that this is just an easy way for governments to have access to an elite team of enhanced humans and aliens alike to do their bidding doesn't bother you? Bad guys won't just go away because we do."

"But we hurt people Steve, civilian people who don't deserve it!"

"And how many do we save in the process? We're not perfect. I'm not saying we're remotely close but for fuck's sake," He exclaimed, eyes tearing up as he looked at you. "I'm doing this for more than Bucky, but you? You're doing it to assuage your guilt in some misguided notion that you can atone for something you didn't mean to do, and put any future mistakes onto someone else while ignoring taking responsibility for what you've already done."

Your mouth dropped open, eyes wide as he dared to say you were trying to blame other people for what your abilities did. Were you guilty? Yeah, you'd fucked up long before you met Steve and continued to do so now but were you trying to blame someone else for it? No, because you could never do that - not when you knew how bad it hurt to carry it on your shoulders.

He didn't flinch though, eyes unwavering on the road in front of him because even if he did feel bad for that last remark, he couldn't take back anything else he said. He believed every word he uttered to you. A thud hit the back of your car, cat-man at it again as he clung on for dear life.

"Sam," Steve cleared his throat to rid the anger, "I can't shake this guy."

"Right behind you."

Sam swooped in, grabbing the man up but you watched in horror as he climbed Sam like a tree. Rubble started to fall around you and Steve grabbed your hand with one of his. You met his gaze slowly, fear in your eyes as you wondered how much hatred you'd see there.

"When I say jump, you jump."

He might be on the opposing side of this now but you still trusted him more than anyone, as hurt by his words as you were. He wouldn't let anything kill you though, so you steeled yourself for whatever he was about to do. Rubble had fallen in front of the exit, beginning to block it but Steve wasn't slowly down and your palms started to sweat. He was going to hit it head on. The tip of the hood smacked into the rock, right as he yelled for you to jump. You both went out the driver's side door, him lifting you over the rock as you used a gust of wind to propel you both out.

He kept running but you turned on your heel, hands out in front of you to catch falling rocks that could easily kill people if they were hit. The sirens blaring behind you told you the running was over for now, that you were about the have to surrender so you lowered the granite and turned to face the music. The cat-man's mask was off and you recognized him as the man Nat was talking with earlier as Steve stood to Bucky's side and Rhodey pointed hand rays at both sides.

"Walk over here slowly, no funny movements." Rhodey commanded you and you rolled your eyes as a chest ray trained on your shirt. "I mean it."

"Don't worry about her," Steve sighed, giving you the most heartbroken look you had ever seen in your life, "She's on your side."

Brave Little One story Tags:


	4. 4

Despite Steve's admission of your 'betrayal' to the authorities, they still linked industrial strength cuffs around your wrists before moving onto linking some around Bucky too. Cuffs you were fine with, then they rolled out two glass boxes. One for Bucky, and you blanched at the other. You and he were the only ones cuffed, the only ones deemed reckless and dangerous enough to need them.

"Absolutely not." Steve stated, stepping right up into Rhodey's face and ignoring the pulse rays. Rhodey dropped his arms, heaving a heavy sigh.

"James Barnes is a danger to himself and the public."

"Okay, that I understand but the other one?"

"It's not for you Captain."

"I know." He stepped back, practically tipping you over when his body collided with yours. What was he doing? But then his arm reached back, curling around you in an all too familiar protective gesture. "I'm not happy about you putting Bucky in there but her? She's been an Avenger for almost 4 years, fought by mine _and your_ side; and what, now you're going to treat her like an experiment?"

Your heart lurched in your chest. You knew how angry he was with you, how much these accords hurt him just by the look in his eyes. He didn't have to defend you and yet here he was, continuing to be a great boyfriend after you'd just broken his heart. You wondered if in someway he understood your position on it as much as you understood his. Especially now, when this was exactly what you'd been trying to avoid - having to be arrested for accountability of your actions. He had super serum in his veins, you were born with a mutated gene that let you control elements and that made you dangerous; and made you need to be put in check.

"It's alright." You soothed and he simply turned his head to the left, glancing at you out of his peripherals. "Really. They already told us where they are going to take us, so I'll see you in a little bit?"

"You don't know that." He turned to face you fully now, large hands gripping your world heavy shoulders. "What if they are lying to us? I know we're not exactly in 100% agreement right now but you are still the most important person in my life and if you think I'm going to let them separate us and put you in that box, then it will be over my dead body." You shivered at the thought. You couldn't let him get hurt because of you.

"You aren't letting them Steve, I am." He bit into his bottom lip, glancing back over his shoulder to Rhodey with the darkest look you have ever seen on his face. "Steve?"

"You get her there safely or I will burn you, and your accords to the ground."

Bucky didn't speak to you the whole ride back despite Rhodey being nice enough to leave the comms on in your box prisons. Bucky's kept him strapped to a chair while yours was more like Loki's cell had been, four paces wide and five long. You hadn't exactly tried to talk to Mr. Tall, dark and murdery either. Your mind was too occupied with Steve and these stupid accords.

Were you making the right decision? Tony had been so positive that signing was the right thing to do, but Steve's conviction on the subject was just as strong. Sam, Rhodey, Vision, Natasha, all of them were confident in there decisions and then here's you, not sure if you will even get out of this cage to make one. Instead, you sat on the floor with folded legs, leaning back against the glass wall and tried to relax before shit hit the fan.

_Cool wind whipped around you, bitter snow pecking your skin with icicle kisses as your hand ran along the hallway wall. You were so close to the exit, the winter tundra hiding your escape as alarms blared, threatening you with their ferocity. You could hear the men yelling for you, screaming for you to get back in your jail before they had to drag you back in but the chatter in their teeth and crunch of snow beneath them told you they wouldn't be able to get to you before they froze to death. You were weak, malnourished and scarred from the beatings you'd received at their hands but you were strong. You would make it._

_The large, overly guarded door was barely in sight when the hinges cracked and the metal caved in. A man took up the doorway with his shoulders alone, head practically hitting the frame as he stepped in with a circular shield guarding him. You would recognize that man anywhere, the face of a man who the Hydra guards that held you for so long had been whispering about. The same man who had driven their organization to the ground years ago. Captain America._

_He didn't seem to like the cold, something told you as he took pause before stepping through the blizzard. His eyes locked with your own petrified gaze, hand raising to look through the haze. You aren't sure how you did it, you'd never been able to control your powers more than doing absolutely nothing or causing storms like this, but a small cloud formed above him and sunshine peaked over it to heat his skin._

_"I'm here to save you, but it doesn't look like you need much saving." He had covered the small space between you in three strides. You placed an arm on an impressive bicep, giving him an exhausted grimace of a smile._

_"Am I your first mission Captain?" Your words were slurred like that of a child. You hadn't been allowed to speak much during your time in Hydra's 'care' but that didn't stop the influx of snarky comments you'd thought to keep yourself sane. He scooped you into his arms, the blizzard around you disappearing as the weight was taken off your fragile body and you went limp in his arms._

_"You're the only one that matters," is all he whispered into your snow dampened hair._

"Get up." The voice was gruff in your ears, grating on your ears a little. "Get up."

You sat up abruptly, body cracking with the movement as you shot to your feet off the cold, glass flooring. Your eyes locked onto Bucky's (perhaps you should call him James, you weren't actually a friend of his and didn't know what'd he prefer), his eyebrows raised in an expression you could only call amused. If a one hundred year old ex assassin could look amused. Your hand reached up to your chin, wondering if you'd drooled like Steve liked to tease you for. Your chin was thankfully dry.

"What?" You cleared the croak from your throat. "What's going on?"

"The truck stopped, we're here."


	5. 5

The room they stuck you and Bucky into was no better than a prison. It was windowless, quiet and far too large for just the both of you. The men who'd put you in here, sliding you by an angry Captain America, Falcon and random agents like some fucking parade, had left without a word and you wondered what they'd do to you next.

"They are going to have us psychologically evaluated." You weren't saying Bucky was a mind reader but if you were to say something, it would be that Bucky is a mind reader. "They'll want to see how dangerous I am, and you." He didn't look at you despite the fact that his 'cage' was facing yours and you didn't blame him, letting the silence settle over you both like an itchy blanket til you couldn't take it anymore.

"What's your name?"

"You know my name."

"No, I know that Steve calls you Bucky. What do you want to be called?" You stretched your legs out, leaning back against the glass wall once more as his eyes snapped to yours, beginning to calculate you. He was sizing you up, and once again, you didn't blame him. You were an unknown factor; plus, you'd already done the same to him.

"Bucky is fine." You nodded, glancing at the hinges of your cage to see if you could possibly get out. All you needed was a sliver of open glass, then it was game over.

"What is it you can do?" You didn't spare him a glance, shrugging your shoulders instead. "I saw you move the rocks."

"I can do a little bit of everything when elements are involved. Earth, fire, water, air, the whole shebang." He didn't respond and you finally locked eyes with his. "Do I scare you Bucky?" He seemed surprised you were not only continuing to talk to him, but asking his opinion and you wondered how long it'd been since he'd gotten to just choose something, not having it decided for him.

"Are you scared of me?"

"Answering a question with a question isn't very polite."

"Assuming that everyone you meet is scared of you isn't very polite, either." You quirked a smile, a laugh escaping as you nodded at him.

"You've got jokes Mr. Barnes, but you still haven't answered me." You didn't know why you were so insistent that he answered. Perhaps you were searching for validation, or you just wanted someone to understand you. Either way, you weren't letting it go.

"No." Internally, you breathed a sigh of relief. Someone wasn't scared of you.

"Me either."

"You're not scared of yourself?"

"I meant I'm not scared of you."

"You should be." He mumbled, fingers on his left arm clenching around the armrests as he glanced up into the corners. "They are listening." You could recognize an attempt at a subject change anywhere, and you let him get away with it this time because this was not the place to be making friends.

Neither of you said another word after realizing they were indeed listening and would be noting each word with careful consideration. Well, you didn't speak out loud. You kept your gaze locked with his, communicating in the simple flick of eyes and silent agreements.

You had to escape because the only way Ross was going to let you leave was in body bags.

Steve was barely able to catch Bucky's eye as they hauled the crates with you both in them, out into the open. He hadn't even gotten a glimpse of you and he knew Ross was doing it on purpose, but Bucky still knew him so well. With a head nod, tap of two fingers, Steve knew their code for 'its okay' anywhere.

"What are you going to do them?" He demanded of Everett Ross, the guy's smug little rat face rubbing him the wrong way.

"Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition."

"The girl did not do anything." T'challa was suddenly on their side and it almost made Steve's head swivel. He was certain the guy hated them after Sam's cat comment.

"She tried to help an escaped convict escape."

"We weren't trying to help him escape, we were trying to bring him in without him being shot on site." Everett gave him a look that spelled 'i don't believe you' before turning on his heels and walking away. "Asshole."

"Dang Cap, you kiss your mama with that mouth?" Sam tried to lighten the mood but Steve was too pissed now. The Ross' were just a bunch of grade a jerks.

Luckily, they hadn't tried to lock him or motor mouth Sam in a cell but a rather spacious office. Although it did feel like they were on display in a glass fish bowl. That is where Stark found him pacing about, overlooking the control room. He should have known something was up when Stark produced two old fountain pens, waxing poetic about putting Buck in a psych facility instead of a Wakandan prison.

"And what about her?" Steve nodded in the vicinity of the control room where they were watching you and Bucky be put into holding but he still couldn't see you. It was really pissing him off.

"She is willing to sign, so we let her sign and I get you and Wanda reinstated."

"What about Wanda?" Steve had picked up the pen, already leaning into ink the tip. He didn't care if every member of the team, the governments of the world or anyone else thought signing was right. You did, and that's what counted in his opinion. He had, had way too long to think on the ride here and realizing that you had followed him into every death-defying situation, all the fights and not once doubter or questioned him was like a punch to the gut. He had taken that for granted, not realizing that the only reason he was 100% positive about each situation is because you were too. Now he was questioning himself. Which moves had led to this, which ones did you follow just because he was leading you - how many almost got you killed and yet you still trusted him, loved him and the one time you disagree he basically calls you a traitor in the middle of everyone?

"She's fine, currently confined to the compound with Vision for company." And there it was. The reason he couldn't sign. Wanda, the young girl who'd faced so much atrocity, was being held against her will because she was 'too dangerous'. All they were doing was affirming her self hatred for herself.

"Gosh Tony. Every single time, every time I think you see things the right way-"

"What? It's 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There is worse ways to protect people."

"But who are you protecting Tony? Civilians? Because it certainly isn't Wanda!"

"I am protecting her because she's not a US citizen, refusing to sign and they are chomping at the bit to get her away from the public."

"So locking her up yourself is the way to do it?"

"They don't grant visas to weapons."

"She's a kid Tony!"

"Give me a break Steve!" There was a heavy moment, both breathing a little too harshly and Steve found himself looking around the room for your calming face. It broke his heart not to find it there. He had to get you out. "I'm doing what has to be done."

"You keep telling yourself that." He tossed the fountain pen beside the other. "I'd hate to break up the set." He fled from the room, anger coursing through his veins as he found the room they'd stuffed Sam, Natasha and now Sharon in.

"You okay?" Sam questioned, accepting the curt nod as good enough. That's all Steve was able to give at the moment.

Sharon took stock of the people around her, the broken team with a semi-broken leader and sighed to herself. These people were going to get her fired. She _accidentally_ leaned onto the control switch and the TV above them flickered to life, the crates containing you and Bucky finally being locked into place as the sound cut on. Steve's eyes flickered to hers, noticed her nonchalant attitude and gave her a nod of thanks. She chalked it up to a win for the good guys.


End file.
